A Thousand Tiny Paper Cuts

The Subtle, Insidious Nature of Spiritual Abuse and Life on the Other Side

Katherine Spearing, Founder of Tears of Eden

"Believers who've been harmed by church communities will find strength and understanding." —Publishers Weekly

“Katherine Spearing is an important voice on the issue of spiritual abuse in the American evangelical church.” —Cait West, author of Rift: A Memoir of Breaking Away from Christian Patriarchy

A Thousand Tiny Paper Cuts is an arresting dive beneath the glossy surface of American evangelicalism, exposing the often-invisible trauma of spiritual abuse. Drawing on her upbringing in the Christian Patriarchy Movement, her former role as a ministry leader, and the work of her nonprofit Tears of Eden, Katherine Spearing offers an unflinching look at the wounds that religious institutions cause, and helps you name and understand those wounds.

The book's title evokes the nature of these injuries: small, subtle, and nefarious cuts that bleed out over time. With helpful insights and a voice both tender and fierce, Spearing unpacks the power imbalances, spiritual gaslighting, and the silent corrosion of autonomy under abusive systems in churches and Christian families. She writes about how leaders collect followers like trophies, how to replace bad traumaversaries with good ones, and how creativity is life-giving.

Essential reading for anyone deconstructing harmful faith or supporting survivors, A Thousand Tiny Paper Cuts exposes what happens when spirituality is used as a weapon and shows the maturity it takes to walk away. With moments of wit, clarity, and compassion, this survivor-centered narrative doesn't just name the abuse; it helps you dare to imagine a life moving forward.

Themes: Spiritual Abuse | Religious Trauma | Healing & Wholeness

Book Clubs: Learn more here about our special offer to members of book clubs and make A Thousand Tiny Paper Cuts your latest read.

Praise for A Thousand Tiny Paper Cuts

"[Spearing] is eloquent and precise in her critiques of high-control Christianity. . . . Believers who’ve been harmed by church communities will find strength and understanding." —PublishersWeekly

“For anyone trying to make sense of their journey through the confusing maze of religious abuse recovery, Katherine’s treatment of this topic is authentic, courageous, original, clear, humorous and deeply true–a roadmap for any and all on their journey towards healing.” —Connie A. Baker, MA, LPC

"For everyone who’s ever taken a chance—or wanted to take a chance—on escaping the constraints of high-control religion, A Thousand Tiny Paper Cuts will validate and fortify you." —Christa Brown, author of Baptistland

“A Thousand Tiny Paper Cuts lays bare the thin, often invisible line between growing up in a cult and simply being raised ‘a devout Christian’ in America." —Mattie Jo Cowsert, author of God, Sex, and Rich People

“Katherine Spearing’s A Thousand Tiny Paper Cuts is a vital, personal guide for survivors of spiritual abuse.” — Sarah Edmondson, author of Scarred: The True Story of How I Escaped NXIVM, the Cult That Bound My Life and host A Little Bit Culty Podcast

“With haunting prose, Spearing tells of the ways that spiritual abuse continues to find many of us in the dark. For all its probing of white evangelicalism's dark heart, this is a soulful book.” —Audrey Clare Farley, author of Girls and Their Monsters

“With her years of experience working with and advocating for survivors, Katherine Spearing is an important voice on the issue of spiritual abuse in the American evangelical church.” —Cait West, author of Rift: A Memoir of Breaking Away from Christian Patriarchy

“In A Thousand Tiny Paper Cuts, Katherine Spearing speaks with an unabashed vulnerability that will resonate with those breaking free from toxic religious patriarchy.” —Janyne McConnaughey, PhD, author of Trauma in the Pews, co-founder of Religious Trauma Network

“Katherine Spearing so eloquently shows how high demand religion is the perfect enabler for abuse by enforcing strict gender roles, forbidding questioning authority, and enforcing the patriarchy.” —Lucy Rowett, CSC. Certified Sex Coach and Sexologist

“It's imperative that spiritual abuse survivors have a common vocabulary that describes what happened to them, as well as the manipulation tactics used by those with power.”
—Jeremiah Gibson and Julia Postema, hosts of the Sexvangelicals Podcast

"Katherine Spearing is an impressive presence in this field. Because of her experiences and insights, she has the unique ability to understand that it is because of a succession of countless harmful events and teachings that one is left needing care and healing in order to feel capable in this world and hopeful about the future." —Rachel Bernstein LMFT, host of IndoctriNation Podcast

“A Thousand Tiny Paper Cuts is a no-holds-barred guide for individuals seeking a fulfilling life beyond spiritual abuse and religious trauma.” —Gerette Buglion, author of An Every Day Cult

"Katherine Spearing writes with clarity, compassion, intellect and strength—offering not just understanding, but hope." —Kristina Hart, writer, comedian, advocate

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